There are some big region match-ups on the hardwood tonight, but none perhaps any bigger than a boys’ match-up in Pass Christian.
The Moss Point Tigers head to Pass Christian in a battle for the top spot in Region 8-4A. The Pirates bring an impressive 5-0 mark in league play into tonight’s action, while the Tigers stand solidly in second at 4-1 with their only loss so far coming at the hands of PCHS 54-43 10 days ago in Moss Point.
Pass Christian, under the direction of veteran head coach Buddy Kennedy, stands 17-6 overall on the season and the Pirates are coming off a 75-43 win over Stone Tuesday night.
The Tigers are 9-13 overall, but obviously have played well in region play and MPHS is coming off a 58-43 win over Greene County Tuesday. Kedrick Osby tallied a game-high 32 points while Jujuan Nettles and Javaris Johnson scored 8 apiece for the Tigers.
Not to be outdone by their male counterparts, the Pass Christian girls are steam-rolling through the Region 8-4A race as well standing at 5-0 in league play themselves as they host the struggling Lady Tigers tonight as well. The Lady Pirates are 15-7 overall, and clipped MPHS in the previous meeting 39-24 also 10 days ago. Pass Christian is coming off a dominating 59-25 win over Stone Tuesday.
Speaking of the Stone girls, home-standing and top-ranked Hancock ran its record to 24-1 overall Friday night with a commanding 52-9 win over Stone Thursday night.
Elsewhere in the “Southern Six” Friday night, in Region 8-5A, George County hosts East Central in a pair of varsity games, as the Rebels look for their fifth straight win overall and are looking to improve on their region-leading 3-0 mark. These games are a rematch from just a week ago when GCHS swept home-standing ECHS in a pair of games in Hurley.
Elsewhere, the Gautier girls have been as dominant in Region 8-5A play as any other team in any other region in the state of Mississippi as the Lady Gators stand 4-0 in league play and have won that quartet of games by an average of a whopping 46 points per game, including a 79-13 win over East Central Tuesday night. Gautier’s girls and boys host Vancleave in league play Friday night.
Also, in Region 7-5A action, West Harrison travels to Long Beach in a renewal of the Battle for Exit 28 Friday night. The Lady Hurricanes are on an impressive eight-game win streak and stand atop the region race currently at 3-0.
The WHHS girls are coming off a 34-25 win over Fairhope (Ala.) Saturday in the inaugural Mississippi/Alabama Challenge at Biloxi. The Lady Hurricanes got 10 points from Taylor Hopgood and eight points from Miranda Parker in the win.
In other Region 7-5A action, Picayune travels to Carriere to face arch-rival Pearl River Central in a pair of varsity games. The Maroon Tide leads the region race at 3-0, and beat West Harrison recently 71-35 as Josh Holmes poured in a game-high 31 points to pace Picayune and keep the Maroon Tide unbeaten in league play.
Region 7-6A action continues on Friday as St. Martin hosts Ocean Springs in a pair of games while D’Iberville does the same with Pascagoula.
The big match-up in Region 8-6A Friday night is Harrison Central hosting Gulfport in a pair of games.
In Region 8-3A, St. Patrick maintained its top spot atop the boys’ standings with a 56-40 win over St. Stanislaus Tuesday.. Ryan Roth finished with 18 points. Eric Davis had 13 points and 17 rebounds, while Beau Muller had 13 points and 11 rebounds. The Fighting Irish host Jefferson Davis County in region play Friday night.
